The Second French-Senussi War was a long war that broke out in 1903 after France attacked and destroyed one of the Senussi lodges, prompting the Senussi leadership to declare jihad against France. The war took place mainly in Central Africa and southern tunisia with some parts of algeria, this war has a huge and very important part of the Senussi campaign in World War I against French Third Republic
The conflict began after several colonial agreements (most notably the 1899 agreement) between France and the British Empire, which allowed France to penetrate the Sahara. However, France encountered strong Senussi lodges that caused problems for its expansion and its ambition to link its southern colonies with the western africa colonies.
Conflict The war started when the French Third Republic Attacked multiple Senussi center's in central Africa in places like, Quru, Kanm, Ain Kalka, France destroyed those centers, causing heavy losses to the infrastructure and to the Senussi.
Senussi battles and field victories The battles between 1903 and 1916 witnessed fierce and intense fighting that caused heavy losses for France in an unexpected guerrilla war, The Senussi order succeeded in defeating the French in several battles, such as the Battle of Ghandaz and the Battle of Tin Tabraq, with the help of the Tuareg tribes, These successes had significant consequences, enabling the Senussi to control territories in Niger and Chad.
World War I During World War I, the Senussi movement exploited France’s preoccupation with multiple fronts, so Khalifa bin Askar launched a swift military campaign against French colonies, leading to the fall of southern Tunisia to the Senussi order.
References
Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi. The History of the Sanusi Movement in Africa. pp. 217–230. Nikolai Proshin. A History of Libya from the Mid-16th to the Beginning of the 20th Century's Muhammad Fuad Shukri. The Sanusiyya: Religion and State Unknown Pages from the History of Libya, Muhammad Issa, Kuwait University, First Annual, 1980 AD, p. 7. Sanusiya: Religion and State, p. 98, p. 100. Libyan Shadhiliya Observations, Saeed Abdul Rahman, Center for Jihad Studies, 1983 AD, p. 86. The National Movement in Western Libya, p. 23. The Journey of Al-Mahsahi, p. 171. History of Islam, Anwar Al-Jundi, p. 217. The Libyans' Jihad Against France, Muhammad Al-Shantat, p. 115, p. 157, p. 159, p. 160, p. 161. The Sanusi Revolution, translated by Abdul Rahman Abdul Latif, p. 12, p. 68, p. 70, p. 82, p. 85, p. 86.